'Please bury me at home'

Sensing the danger his life was in and desperate to escape the nightmarish clashes, 31-year-old South African rifleman Lesego Lebatlang pleaded with his ailing mother to get a doctor's note to him so he could come home.

His plea for help from a raging battlefield in Central African Republic's capital, Bangui, came hours before he phoned his aunt to ask her to ensure he was buried at his home in Northern Cape.

Lebatlang's prediction of his death came true when he was killed in fierce fighting between Seleka rebel forces and South African troops on Saturday.

The family of a surviving South African soldier, Simon Feletswene, yesterday described the "hellish" sounds of gunfire raging in the background as they made contact with their son for the first time since last week.

But as Feletswene's family are thankful he is still alive, the Lebatlangs are mourning their child's death. Lebatlang was one of 13 South African soldiers killed during the 13-hour battle.

His mother, Violet Motlonye, speaking from Postmasburg, said she was in a Kimberley hospital for surgery when she received the news of her only son's death.

"He called on Friday begging me to send him a note from my doctor because he wanted to be here for me. I could sense the desperation in his voice. The doctors had already left, so I only managed to get a note on Monday. But it was already too late," she said.

Loved for his peaceful personality, Lebatlang ensured he kept the news of an ambush and subsequent battle for Bangui from his mother.

"He did not want me to find out that they were under fire because I was ill in hospital, so he called my sister. She could hear the gunshots in the background and asked him why he did not just send an SMS.

His message to his aunt was that things were "really bad" that side.

"My son's last message to us: 'God be with you . Please make sure to bury me at home when I die."

Lebatlang's grief-stricken sister, Tshegofatso, said: "I kept praying [that] the military had made a mistake and identified a wrong person . that it was not my brother. But when I heard his name over the news today ."

For Feletswene's brother, Obakeng, they just want to know when he is coming home. "We just want our boys home . not stuck somewhere where they do not belong," he said.